Tried using a heat gun to soften some old vinyl trim on a '92 Civic, ended up melting the whole panel.

It was last Thursday on a customer's car, and I figured a little heat would make the old trim flexible enough to pull off clean. I set the gun to about 400 degrees and started on a corner. Next thing I know, the whole rear quarter panel started to warp and bubble like a bad paint job. I had to tell the owner I was ordering a new panel on my dime. Has anyone found a better way to get that super-glued-on trim off without destroying the sheet metal underneath?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_bailey6d ago

Try a plastic trim removal tool with some fishing line.

hannah3206d ago

Honestly that sounds like something I would do, turning a simple trim job into a full panel replacement. Tbh my heat gun is basically a pocket welder at this point. Ngl I've had better luck just slowly working a plastic pry tool under there while muttering swear words. Maybe the fishing line idea is the move before I melt my entire garage.

jana8816d ago

Feel your pain, that's a rough lesson to learn. It reminds me of how often the "quick fix" ends up making a much bigger mess. I've seen this same pattern with people trying to force something simple, like a stripped screw, and they end up drilling out the whole thing. Sometimes the slow, careful way with the right tool, like that fishing line trick, is actually the fastest way in the end.